Sunday, 12 August 2018

Blue Mountains, Australian Reptile Park, Kuranghai Chase Aboriginal National park

We hired a car to go to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains which is North West of Sydney but higher and considerably colder and an extremely large area of temperate rainforest on sandstone. We stayed at a youth hostel in Katoomba. Katoomba is like a cross between Snowdonia, Nepal and the Wild West! The trees are a mixture of indigenous and imported deciduous. 




   The eucalyptus or gum trees give off a scent which gives the air a blue hue, 
   hence the Blue  Mountains. 


   The waterfalls were very depleted due to the drought. 

    
   For some reason people in Australia decorate trees with brightly coloured knitwear!


   A sulphur crested cockatoo outside a newsagents! 

   
   Gingerbread cafe. 


   An art wall.


   Australian Reptile Park

   A junior sized tortoise


   There were an abundance of tame kangaroos. They liked food! And stole a sandwich! 


   They also didn't mind selfies. 



   Indian minor bird- not native and very noisy.

    
   There were a lot of koalas with their babies. They eat eucalyptus leaves. 


   More kangaroos.


    This isn't a hedgehog! It's an Echidna! 

   
   More kangaroos.
   

   There are over 50 poisonous snakes in Australia.


   A baby terrapin


   A sleeping croc! 


   This is a common spider in New South Wales but it is poisonous. We learnt how to deal 
   with it as a bite can kill you. 


   Dingoes look like friendly dogs but they will attack you. These are cubs.


   Flying Fox bats which are enormous! 


   A cassowary 


   Looks like a mallard with different colouring.


   A wombat


   A tiny type of wallaby.


   A more normal size of wallaby.


   A goose with a beautiful coloured beak. 


   There were loads of parrots and lorikeets 


   A python that is not poisonous but can strangle you.

   
   There are lots of gray cranes. 


   There be alligators! 


   Grass owls that were motionless.


   Looks like an owl but it's related to a kookaburra.


   More koalas.
   

   A flurry of parrots.

    
   A sleepy kangaroo.



    Kuringhai Chase- an Aboriginal Heritage Area

    A hand print from thousands of years ago. 


   A scribbly gum tree


   Large sandstone rocks



   Local flora.


   Looking down to Palm Beach


   
   Lichen


   Trees in the bush

   
   Path in the rainforest 


   Flora and Fauna